Margaret Buresh Rogers: Harrop glosses over dishonesty

I almost choked on my cereal while reading Froma Harrop's take ("Turns out marriage matters in Texas, and even in France," Commentary, Jan. 26) on Texas's version of Elle in "Legally Blonde," Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis.

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Posted Jan. 27, 2014 @ 5:53 pm

I almost choked on my cereal while reading Froma Harrop's take ("Turns out marriage matters in Texas, and even in France," Commentary, Jan. 26) on Texas's version of Elle in "Legally Blonde," Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis.

Ms. Davis did indeed have quite a "story." Unfortunately for Texas Democrats and for Ms. Davis, hers was a carefully woven web of deceit deftly crafted to omit "certain facts" in order to create an image and garner support for the downtrodden single mom turned Harvard Law Student.

Ms. Davis felt the truth wasn't enough -- that she had worked hard but had the help of a (gasp) supportive husband. That didn't fit the feminist narrative, so Wendy chose not disclose a big part of her story: that she walked out on her husband who had cashed in his 401(k) to fund her education, and that her 12-year-old daughter chose Dad as the custodial parent.

It didn't take but a moment for the fawning media to circle the wagons around their very own "Pretty Little Liar." Imagine if this had been the story of a certain conservative governor chosen as a vice presidential candidate -- a woman who was vilified for taking a bit longer than four years to finish her undergraduate degree because she had to pay for college herself.

No, Ms. Harrop, Wendy Davis did not "blur" the facts; she was fundamentally dishonest in order to promote herself and her candidacy. It is wrong for any candidate, man or woman to do so.